Lions line up Vietnam friendly

HANOI – ASEAN champions Singapore will gear up for the defence of their regional title with a friendly against Vietnam, scheduled to take place in Hanoi on October 14.

The last match between the two ended in a goalless draw when they met back in January 2007 in Singapore during the group stage of the AFF Championship, a tournament that the Lions went on to win, successfully defending the title they claimed three years earlier.

Singapore will be looking for a hat-trick of ASEAN titles in December when they take on Indonesia, Myanmar, and a yet to be determined qualifier in Group A of the 2008 Suzuki AFF Cup.

Vietnam, meanwhile, are in Group B of the tournament previously known as the ASEAN Football Championship and the Tiger Cup.

The Vietnamese, who have yet to win the competition, have been pooled with three-time champions Thailand, Malaysia, and another team to emerge from October’s qualifying tournament in Cambodia.

The group stage of the 2008 Suzuki AFF Cup will be held from December 5 to 10 with Group A taking place in Jakarta and Group B in Bangkok.